Chair



Jan. 17, 1950 SLAUGHTER 2,494,838

CHAIR Filed Dec. 29, 1945 r'a/v @7050 g 6 /0 a o 2% 154 r /V\\ g 2 6 e?" /f N //7/' ff?! A9 i (70/7/14? fizz/@1202 h INVENTOR.

Patented Jan. '17, 1950 UNITED. STA'IEE-S.

Q-FE'l CE CHAIR John R. Slaughter, Dallas, Tex.

Application December 29, 1945, Serial No. 638,118

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to household furnishings and more particularly to arm chairs and divans.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a chair or divan especially one of the upholstered or overstufied type, whose arm rests are convertible into tables for writing, support ing refreshments, or the like, by virtue of a pair of coaxial plates or boards hinged together along one edge so that one may be moved to overlie the other in one position and become parallel with the latter in another position. The movable board is upholstered on one side while the opposite side, as is the exposed side of a companion board is appropriately finished to constitute jointly with the other a table top in which the flanges of the hinges, preferably of the piano type, are countersunk.

Another object of the invention is to provide a combination arm rest and utility table for upholstered chairs, divans and the like as well as a magazine or utility storage recess which, when the table elements are in collapsed or folded position afford a closure for the storage recess or well and present the same pleasing appearance as when in extended position to form a table.

With the foregoing objects as paramount, the invention has further reference to certain features of accomplishment which will become apparent as the description proceeds, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure l is a perspective view of an overstuffed chair equipped with the convertible arm rests of the invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary elevational view of either an arm chair or divan with parts broken away to disclose the storage well or compartment and the construction of the elements constituting the folding table, and

Figure 3 is a View similar to Figure 2 on a reduced scale and showing the elements of the folding table in raised position.

Continuing with a more detailed description of the drawing, it is first pointed out that the convertible arm rest and storage compartment described herein may be made applicable to any article of furniture, upholstered or otherwise, having an arm rest. However, it is considered that the invention will find more extensive use on parlor and living room furniture in cases where refreshments may be informally served or for impromptu letter writing and the like.

With the foregoing in View, reference numeral III denotes a chair, divan or settee of the upholstered type which has a box or receptacle II built onto the same, the upper portion of which constitutes an arm rest. In conventional construction the arm rest is padded with a suitable material. This is true also of the arm rest I'2 of the invention but in the latter case, and as shown, the padding material or cap I3 is applied to a plate or board I I whose opposite surface is finished to present a pleasing appearance when it becomes one half section of the complete table top in a manner to be presently described. The said box or receptable forms a compartment for magazines and other articles.

As a base for the arm rest I2, when serving as such, a plate or board I5 of equal dimensions and correspondingly finished on top, is hinged at I5a to the top of the receptacle II of the chair or divan I0 and to board I5 is hinged at I6 to the outer edge of the companion board I I, the boards I4 and I5 being considered to be in folded position. It will be observed that a piano type hinge is employed for strength and to insure a smooth table surface, the hinge is inverted and its flanges are countersunk into the material of the boards I4 and '15. When folded, the boards jointly serve to close the receptacle II.

In Figure 1, one of the table boards I4 is shown as overlying and partially concealing the supporting or stationary board I5, 50 that its padded side will be upright and serve as an arm rest. The companion table board is displaced to lie on a plane flush with the supporting board I5, to serve with the latter, as a table.

It is obvious that should the exposed edges of the boards I4 and I5, when collapsed, be objectionable, concealment thereof may be effected by providing a reversible ruffle (not shown) about the edge of the displaceable table I4, although appropropriate design of exposed woodwork may render such concealment immaterial.

Manife stly, the construction as shown and. described is capable of some modification and such modification as may be construed to fall within the scope and meaning of the appended claim is also considered to be within the spirit and intent of the invention.

What is claimed is:

In a chair construction, an end frame defining a receptacle having an open top, a horizontal board hinged along one edge of the inner edge of the top of said receptacle and adapted to close the same in one position, said board being 2,494,838 3 hingedly displaceable to a second position in- REFERENCES CITED wardly of said frame and provided with a finished The following references are of record in the upper surface, a second board hinged co-extenme of this patent: sively along one edge to the edge of said first board opposite said hinged edge thereof, having 5 UNITED STATES PA'I'ENTS one side upholstered and the opposite side fin- Number Name Date ished in corresponding relation to said first board 1,533,219 Sugerman Apr. 14' 1925 and capable of being folded to overlie he la er in one position and to lie in flush plane therewith FOREIGN PATENTS in another position outwardly of said frame. 10 Number Country t 443,145 Great Britain Feb. 24, 1936 JOHN R. SLAUGHTER- 443,562 Germany Apr. 27, 1927 

